US Defense Chief: Poland Is NATO’s “Model Ally” in Military Spending

The US considers Poland as “the model ally on the continent,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, adding that Warsaw “leads by example on a lot of things, including defense spending.”

The Pentagon Chief stated that on February 14, during his visit to Poland.

“Our first trip is to Poland; the symbolism is not lost. Poland is a model NATO member,” Hegseth said. “Hard power is the most important, and Poland understands that perfectly. Peace through strength. Two percent is not enough.”

Highlighting Poland, which aims to allocate 4.7% of its GDP to defense this year, as a model ally, Hegseth reinforced Washington’s call for European NATO members to spend more funds on its security.

“What happens five or 10 or 15 years from now is part of a larger discussion that reflects the threat level, America’s posture, our needs around the globe, but most significantly, the capability of European countries to step up,” said Hegseth.

US Defense Secretary added that though dialogue and diplomacy are important, ammunition and weapons still matter.

“Diplomacy is important. Talk is important. Negotiations are important, but ultimately, beans and bullets and tanks and helicopters and hard power still matter. Poland understands that, and so do we,” the US Defense Secretary added.

On February 13, John Coale, President Donald Trump’s deputy Ukraine envoy, stated that the US has not ruled out Ukraine’s potential NATO membership or a negotiated return to its pre-2014 borders.